Collapsible portable shelter



Nov. 14, 1961 A. v. BESTER COLLAPSIBLE PORTABLE SHELTER Filed March 21,1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG I a t 50 j i E g FIG-5.2 lOb 1g lOc IOINVENTOR.

BYANTHONY v. BESTER |6b J M mromvsr 1961 A. v. BESTER 3,008,477

COLLAPSIBLE PORTABLE SHELTER Filed March 21, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR.

ANTHONY V. BESTER WWQ/W HTTORNEY 3,008,477 COLLAPSIBLE PORTABLE SHELTERAnthony V. Roster, 1706 Clinton, Minneapolis, Minn. Filed Mar. 21, 1960,Ser. No. 16,250 3 Claims. (Cl. 135-4) This invention relates generallyto shelters of the type having a flexible outer covering supported by acollapsible frame structure and more specifically to such a shelterparticularly adapted for use by ice fishermen.

it is an object of this invention to provide such a shelter ofrelatively simple and inexpensive construction and which can be easilyand quickly erected and collapsed and carried by a single person betweentemporary ice fishing sites.

It is also an object to provide such a shelter which can be collapsedinto a bundle of compact size which may be stored in the trunk of anautomobile between fishing trips.

It is a further object to provide such a shelter having a conical roofsupported upon leg members which may be telescoped to a relatively shortlength and which may be quickly and easily collapsed by moving the legstoward the center of the shelter in an umbrella-like fashion.

It is an additional object to provide such a shelter in which theinterior is unobstructed by a central vertical support or cross-braces.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will more fullyappear from the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawing, 'wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a shelter embodying the pres- States Patent ICE12 when the roof supporting members are respectively pivoted outwardlyand inwardly, to constantly maintain the members 10 mutualy disposed ina generally uniform angular relation to the common vertical axis of themembers 12 and 16.

Inthe particular form of the invention shown in FIG. 3, the tying member16 forms a flattened and inverted cone having the peripheral edgeportion thereof turned upwardly to form an elevated rim 16b and havingthe outer edge thereof surrounded by a strengthening bead 16c. The slots16a are respectively formed through spaced apart portions of the rim16b, and the upper end portion of the roof supporting members 10 engagea radial portion of the upper conical surface of the member 16 on theunderside thereof and the bottom edge of the bead 16c on the uppersurface thereof when the members 10 are pivotally spread apart in roofsupporting operative position. In the form shown, the rim 16b is slantedupwardly away from the center of the circular member 16 to disposed thebead 16c spaced laterally beyond the conical portion of the member 16,to add sta- I bility to the operatively opened roof supportingstructure.

out invention showing the protective'outer covering partly broken away;

FIG. 2 is a top plan View of the central portion of the roof supportingstructure of the shelter shown in FIG. 1 showing the outer edge brokenaway;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a central vertical section partly broken away through one ofthe leg members shown partially telescoped into collapsed position takenalong the line 44 in FIG. 1 and exaggerated in width to show detailsthereof; and, 7

FIG. 5 is a side view of the'ro-of supporting structure in collapsedposition with the leg members removed and showing Several of the roofsupporting members partly broken away. v

The roof supporting structure shown in the accompany: ing drawingcomprises a plurality of rigid elongated roof supporting members such asthe tubular aluminum members 119 having the upper endportions thereofrespectively mounted for vertical pivotal movement upon spaced apartportions of an annular connecting member 12 at the top of the shelter,and having the lower ends 10a thereof turned downwardly to formrespectively the upper ends of the supporting legs of the shelter. inthe form shown, the upper end 10b of the members 10 are flattened and.curved to pivotally encircle a segment of the annular connecting member12. The member 12, as best shown in FIG. 2 is of a circumference to besubstantially encircled by the curved flattened portions of the members10 disposed in side by side slidably abutting position thereon.

Each of the roof supporting members It) is slidably extended through aclosed slot 16a formed through the periphery of a circular tying member16 underlying the member 12 and being of a substantially largerdiameter. Each slot 16a is elongated upon a diameter of the member 16 topermit sliding movement of a member 10 diagonally therethrough. Thetying member 16 is raised and lowered in underlying relation to theconnecting member The roof supporting members 10 are prevented fromspreading apart beyond the roof supporting operative position, with thelower ends 10a thereofrespectively disposed in depending verticalposition therefrom, as by the abutment elements 10c respectivelyextending laterally from eachmernber 19 at generally equal distancesfrom the pivotal axes thereof. The elements abut the upper surface ofthe rim 16b of the tying member 16 adjacent to each of the slots 16awhen the respective members 10 engage the upper conical surface of themember 16, as best shown in FIG. 3. As best shown in FIG. 3, the tyingmember 16 is elevated into closely spaced association below theconnecting member 12 when the shelter is erected in operative. position,to leave the interior of the shelter completely unobstructed and permitthe entire space enclosed by the shelter to be used without interferencefrom the shelter supporting structure.

A plurality of supporting leg members 18 are respectively connected toeach of the depending lower end portions 10a of the roof supportingmembers 10, and in the form shown, each leg member 18 consists of aplurality of leg member sections 18b constructed and arranged to betelescoped upwardly upon the lower end portion 10a of each roofsupporting member 10. Although the collapsible portable shelter providessatisfactory service when used with other types of leg supportingmembers, I haveobtained the most trouble-free service and the easiestand quickest functional operation of the collapsible shelter byprovidingthereupon the telescoping leg member disclosed in anapplication for United States Letters Patent filed of even date herewithand entitled Telescoping Support As disclosed in the said co-pendingpatent application, and as best shown herein in FIG. 4, each leg member18 comprises a plurality of hollow tubular members, of substantially thesame length, which are successively larger in diameter from the top tothe bottom of the fully extended leg 18. In the form shown, the lowerend portion 10a of each member 10 provides the top telescoping legmember section. Each section 18b, as shown, is compressed to narrow thetop opening therethrough and is spread apart at the bottom thereof to anoutside diameter larger than the upper opening in the lower adjacentsection 18b to prevent the adjacent leg member sections from beingseparated. A lubricating element, such as the valve stem packing 3G,impregnated with graphite, is retained in a groove 18c encircling thelower portion of each leg member section 18b, except the bottom section,to lubricate the sliding surfaces of the telescoping sections. Thepacking 30 is wedged between adjacent fully extended sections 18b tomaintain said sections extended to support the weight of the shelterroof. The bottom opening in the lowest leg member section 18b of eachleg member 18 is closed to prevent the adjacent section and the sectionsthereabove from sliding downwardly therethrou-gh as by the rubber shoe22 having a closed bottom and cylindrical upper portion fitted intightly surrounding relation to the lower portion of said bottom legmember section. The shoes 22, in the form shown, have a rounded bottomsurface providing friction to prevent the legs from skidding laterallyon ice, and also to prevent the legs 18 from melting into the ice andbeing frozen in position.

A protective cover, such as the flexible canvas 40, is provided of ashape to conform to the outer surfaces of the operatively opened sheltersupporting structure, as best shown in FIG. 1, and is attached to eachmember as by the canvas loops 4-2 which slidably encircle the respectivemembers it below the tying member 16 adjacent the lower portion Iliathereof. A wire loop handle 59 extends through a pair of openingsthrough the top portion of the conical roof of the canvas cover 40 andis attached to opposed portions of the annular connecting member 12.

A plurality of pairs of conventional snap fasteners are providedrespectively upon the lower skirt portion of the canvas cover 49 andupon the roof portion thereof, as shown in FIG. 1, to permit the sidesof the shelter to be pulled up and snapped into position exposing thetelescoping leg members 18. To collapse the erected shelter, the canvassides are lifted and snapped upon the roof, and the legs 18 aretelescoped by manual pressure into their shortest length. The entireshelter structure is then collapsed 'by grasping and lifting upwardlyupon the wire handle 50. The roof supporting members 10 are therebypermitted to swing downwardly and the tying member to slides downwardlyon the members 10 to the lower curved portion thereof, as best shown inFIG. 5. Opposed telescoping leg members 13 are permitted to cross bylimited twisting movement of the corresponding roof supporting membersltl upon their longitudinal axes, to provide a stable base for restingthe collapsed shelter in upright position on a flat surface.

To erect the shelter from collapsed position, a pair of opposed members10 are grasped, through the canvas 40, at an intermediate portionthereof and pulled apart. The tying member 16 slides upwardly on theroof supporting members being spread apart and the other members 10- arepushed apart by the upward moving member 16. The leg members 18 areextended by pulling opposite ends thereof away from each other, and thecanvas cover sides are unsnapp-ed from the roof and pulled down tooperative position. 7

it will be seen that I have provided a collapsible portable shelterparticularly adapted for use by ice fishermen, and which can be easilyand quickly collapsed, moved, and re-erected at diiferent temporary icefishing sites upon a lake, and which is unobstructed on the inside bycross bars or other braces to provide the maximum usable shelter spacewithin a shelter of relatively small size and height.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangements and proportion of parts withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention, which generally statedconsists in the matter set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A collapsible shelter comprising a roof supporting structure having aflexible covering member supported thereon, said roof supportingstructure comprising a plurality of elongated roof supporting memberspivotally interconnected at their inner ends and extending generallyradially outwardly when said members are in open operative position, atying member having an upwardly turned outer edge portion and having aplurality of spaced apart closed slots therethrough, said roofsupporting members respectively extending slideably through each of saidslots said tying member being disposed in closely spaced underlyingrelation to the pivotal axis of said roof supporting members when theroof supporting structure is opened into said operative position, meansupon said supporting members engaging said tying member to prevent saidsupporting members from pivoting beyond said operative position, saidtying member sliding downwardly upon said supporting members when saidmembers are pivoted downwardly into collapsed position to move the outerends thereof into closely spaced association, and a plurality ofsupporting legs attached respectively to the outer end of each roofsupporting member and adjustable to be telescoped upon said lower endsof said roof supporting members.

2. A collapsible portable shelter comprising a plurality of supportingmembers pivotally interconnected at their inner ends and having portionsthereof extending generally radially outwardly therefrom, a tying memberslidably mounted on said radially extended portions in outwardly spacedrelation to the pivotally mounted inner ends thereof and having guidingmeans slidably engaging said radially extending portions thereon topositively maintain the radial position of said supporting members atall times and permitting collapsing thereof by slidable movementoutwardly on said members, means supporting the outer ends of saidsupporting members and a flexible covering member supported by saidstructure.

3. A collapsible portable shelter comprising an annular connectingmember, a plurality of elongated roof supporting members respectivelymounted for pivotal movement at their inner ends on circumferentiallyspaced apart portions of said annular connecting member and extendingradially outwardly therefrom when in operative open position, meanssupporting the outer ends of said roof supporting members in spacedrelation above References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS 1,546,222 Finlay July 14, 1925 1,599,213 Coupal Sept. 7, 19261,853,367 Mace Apr. 12, 1932

